Syracuse to face West Virginia in Pinstripe Bowl

Syracuse to face West Virginia in Pinstripe Bowl

The 2012 Syracuse Orange, which finished
the season winning five of its last six games and won a share of the
Big East championship with a 5-2 league mark, will play in the New Era
Pinstripe Bowl on December 29 in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY against West Virginia. The Orange defeated Kansas State in the inaugural Pinstripe
Bowl, 36-34, in 2010.

"On behalf of Syracuse University, the athletics department and our
football program, we are honored to have been selected to participate in
this prestigious Bowl game," said Syracuse Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross.
"What an honor to be invited to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl and once
again be affiliated with the Yankee organization, which we consider the
greatest sports franchise in history. We are so proud of head coach Doug Marrone,
his staff and the team. We are honored and thrilled to represent in
this fabulous bowl game in Yankee Stadium as co-Big East champions in
football. I can't think of a better place to showcase New York's college
team. This is a fabulous opportunity for our institution, as many alums
live in the area and our fans can descend upon New York City for the
holidays. We are looking forward to a great bowl week and an
extraordinary game."

""We are excited to welcome back Syracuse University to the New Era
Pinstripe Bowl," said Mark Holtzman, Yankees Executive Director of the
New Era Pinstripe Bowl. "Their victory in the inaugural New Era
Pinstripe Bowl was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
Their student-athletes, alumni and legion of loyal fans will once again
get to take part in an exhilarating bowl week during the New York City
holiday season."

"We are thrilled to be invited to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl for the
second time in three years," Marrone said. "It means a great deal to us
to play a bowl game in Yankee Stadium where many of our alumni and fans
will have the opportunity to share it with us. New York State is the
foundation of our program. I am proud of this team for the way it fought
through early-season adversity to win five of the last six games and
win a share of the BIG EAST championship. It is great for our team, and
particularly our seniors, to have the chance to play one more game. This
senior class has given so much to our program on and off the field and
will be great ambassadors for our program and University."

The 2012 Orange features an offense that ranks 21st nationally. Quarterback Ryan Nassib,
a 2012 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, ranks in the top
15 in the country in passing yards, completions and total offense per
game. His Syracuse-record 3,619 passing yards is 10th in the nation. He
holds every single-season and career passing record (except career TD
passes) in Syracuse history, including most completions and yards. He
also has 3,748 yards of total offense in 2012, another Orange season
record. Receiver Alec Lemon holds the Syracuse records for receptions in a season (70) and career (199). Lemon (1,063 receiving yards) and running back Jerome Smith (1,019 rushing yards) are the second Syracuse duo to record more than 1,000 yards each in a season.

"We're very excited that the hard work of our student-athletes, Coach
Marrone, and the entire SU football staff has been rewarded with a
return visit the New Era Pinstripe Bowl," said Chancellor and President
Nancy Cantor. "In 2010, so many alumni and members of the SU family
filled Yankee Stadium to cheer the Orange on to an exciting and
memorable victory, and we all look forward to returning to the Big Apple
and to the Pinstripe Bowl once again."

Syracuse has a 13-9-1 bowl record, including a 1-0 mark for third-year head coach Doug Marrone.

In 2010, running back Delone Carter earned New Era Pinstripe Bowl Most
Valuable Player honors after rushing for a career-high 198 yards on 27
carries and scoring two touchdowns, while receiver Marcus Sales caught five passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Nassib completed 13-of-21 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns.

Syracuse has a rich football history in New York City and the
metropolitan area. The Orange is 6-1 all-time at Yankee Stadium,
including a 3-0 victory against Pittsburgh in 1923 in the first college
football game ever played there. In addition, the Orange has played
seven times at the Polo Grounds in New York City and has taken the field
for games at Shea Stadium in Flushing, N.Y., and MetLife Stadium and
Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.